Lee Hughes signed by Oldham.

Badger

After serving 3 years of a 6 year sentence he has been signed by Oldham.

Not sure what to think about this at the moment, will he get loads of stick, have Oldham made the right decision.

Has this ever happened before,i know players have been banged up for fraud but Death by dangerous driving.

F-Blocker

Whilst it was a shite thing to do (I curbed my language there!), the guy's done his time (let's not worry about the 3 years or 6 years argument) and is getting on with his life.

Surely the aim of most ex-cons is to get out, get as good a job as they can and try to re-build their lives. This is exactly what he's done. The only difference here is that the guy's "famous".

LenGlover

He has served his sentence according to the powers that be so should be allowed to continue his life as he pleases within the law of course.

Whether any criminal SHOULD be released after serving just 50% of the proscribed sentence is a separate debate though.

bingaddick

I agree with Len and F-B, he's done the time that the system requires him, he's entitled to try and restart his career. He has met with the family of the bloke killed. He has said all the right things so provided he continues to act as well as speak with remorse then I'm OK with it.

WSS

To be fair to the fella, it was a cowardly thing he had done in the first place and he has served his time.

HOWEVER, it is a bloody brave thing to get back into football (i doubt he needs the money), knowing the kind of stick he is going to get.

We (collective) can be a nasty horrible bunch and he will be slaughtered - good luck Lee you murdering tosser ;-)

Ledge

Chindama is getting released early and being allowed to stay in this country due to human rights bollox so why not lee hughes.

the fella has to live with what he did for the rest of his life

Henry Irving

If he was a plumber he'd go back to being a plumber so this is that same.

I have to say that I'd find it hard to cheer for him if he was playing for Charlton.

Salad

What he has done is terrible, he has taken away one life, taken away another's ability to walk.
He's been punished and is probably a much better person now than some footballers.

Let's hope he can serve as a warning to the millions of irresponsible car drivers out there, who like to speed or have a few drinks and drive.

Carter

He's not a plumber though, he was/is in a select band of extremely priveledged people who made his choices and no matter what he says (read like a five year old from a sheet of paper his solicitor wrote) whatever he has to live with does not even come close to what the family of the victim of his crime does.

If he wanted to rebuild his life within football which I'm assuming is all he knows, then what was stopping him getting a coaching job in a community role? I'm sure he would have had assisitance in doing so.

He's done it purely for the money as I'm sure he pissed all his money up the wall from his time at West Brom.

With any luck he'll be a total flop and vanish off the radar forever.

Salad

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/football_league/article2343738.ece

Salad

“Every day I think about what I have done. I know what people will say, but this is my job. If I was a roofer [as he was before joining West Bromwich from Kidderminster Harriers in 1997] or a tiler, I would be going back to my job"

Carter

Why can't he go back to roofing then? That would be low profile and he would be left alone.

He came into proffesional football late on so can't have forgotten how to do it

kigelia

[quote][cite]Posted By: Carter[/cite]Why can't he go back to roofing then? That would be low profile and he would be left alone.

He came into proffesional football late on so can't have forgotten how to do it[/quote]

So you are fine with whatever job he does as long as he doesn't play football and get paid for it?

Carter

I'd rather he was still in jail to serve the full term but that's another matter.

And I'm not 'fine' with him doing anything but like I said he has landed on his feet incredibly well and extremely unfairly.

I appreciate he has to earn a living and you can earn a comfortable living from roofing if that is what he used to do. Doubtless he'll have a story to sell to a Sunday newspaper about his 'jail hell' too to keep the wife in Prada shoes.

Do you think it's okay then?

AFKABartram

Everyone admired the way Tony Adams rebuilt and turned his life around after doing his time and combating his addictions. He could easily of killed when he was driving his car unconcious through walls.

Lee Hughes made a terrible, tragic mistake, and has done the punishment the authorities have set. Time to learn and rebuild.

Henry Irving

I don't think it's about fair. His punishment was to serve time in prison which he has done although I agree that he should have served more than 50% of his sentance and IMHO should have got longer than he did in the first place.

Now he has been released should he be further punished by not being able to earn an honest living in anyway he can? Are we saying that the state should be allowed to impose such penalties other than when people are at risk eg child abusers not being allowed to work with children.

If he can't be a pro player why shouldn't he be allowed to earn good money as a roofer? Should he, and any other criminal, have to take a minimum wage job for the rest of his life.

BlackForestReds

[quote][cite]Posted By: Carter[/cite]I'd rather he was still in jail to serve the full term but that's another matter.

And I'm not 'fine' with him doing anything but like I said he has landed on his feet incredibly well and extremely unfairly.

I appreciate he has to earn a living and you can earn a comfortable living from roofing if that is what he used to do. Doubtless he'll have a story to sell to a Sunday newspaper about his 'jail hell' too to keep the wife in Prada shoes.

Do you think it's okay then?[/quote]

if he hadn't demonstrated some contrition and remorse then I'd agree, however he has, he's served his punishment, is out on parole and has the right to rebuild his life and career in the manner he chooses. What you are suggesting that he shouldn't be allowed to be a roofer or whatever, the fact that he is a professional footballer is irrelevant.

I doubt he'll be able to walk straight into Oldham's first team, he has missed a lot of training and won't be anywhere near fit, it might even be impossible for him to resuurect his career.

Carter

Would any of you be able to honestly say you would be happy about him signing for us?

I don't like this 'well he's got to rebuild his life' thing. He is NOT like a 'normal' person who may have commited a crime like this. He was in a hugely priveleged position and I don't think he deserves another bite at that particular cherry. Hopefully his career will be made such a miserable experiance by opposition fans he will skulk back off into obscurity.

And on the subject of being able to earn a living after serving prison time, there are a huge number of employers that won't touch someone who has been inside regardless of the crime.

Carter

[cite]Posted By: BlackForestReds[/cite]

[cite]Posted By: Carter[/cite]
What you are suggesting that he shouldn't be allowed to be a roofer or whatever, the fact that he is a professional footballer is irrelevant.

I doubt he'll be able to walk straight into Oldham's first team, he has missed a lot of training and won't be anywhere near fit, it might even be impossible for him to resuurect his career.

I'm not saying he should not be allowed to earn a living, I am concerned about the particular living he has chosen (or been allowed) to return to. One which has a questionable moral fibre anyway.

I did suggest he could have tried to put something back by taking a coaching role within a community ideally but I appreciate that doesn't pay much and he might be giving something back that way.

Salad

[cite]Posted By: Carter[/cite]And on the subject of being able to earn a living after serving prison time, there are a huge number of employers that won't touch someone who has been inside regardless of the crime.

Understandable maybe, but a shame and works against getting people on the straight and narrow, doing some honest work and benig a benefit to society rather than a drain.

Carter

[cite]Posted By: Salad[/cite]

[cite]Posted By: Carter[/cite]And on the subject of being able to earn a living after serving prison time, there are a huge number of employers that won't touch someone who has been inside regardless of the crime.

Understandable maybe, but a shame and works against getting people on the straight and narrow, doing some honest work and benig a benefit to society rather than a drain.

Tend to be office based jobs and jobs on large reputable companies. Transco actively encourage and are involved in a scheme to get offenders back to work.

There you go Lee, fancy 7.30 to four digging Gas meters in?

Didn't think so

BlackForestReds

[quote][cite]Posted By: Carter[/cite]Would any of you be able to honestly say you would be happy about him signing for us?

I don't like this 'well he's got to rebuild his life' thing. He is NOT like a 'normal' person who may have commited a crime like this. He was in a hugely priveleged position and I don't think he deserves another bite at that particular cherry. Hopefully his career will be made such a miserable experiance by opposition fans he will skulk back off into obscurity.

And on the subject of being able to earn a living after serving prison time, there are a huge number of employers that won't touch someone who has been inside regardless of the crime.[/quote]



And if it were you, how would you feel if a court said you were unable to work (legally) in your chosen profession?

Carter

I'm not saying that, I'm not a professional footballer or someone who is any way shape or form in any sort of spotlight or in a position to be.

He is legally allowed to fair enough.

And if you think it's acceptable then fair enough.

I don't think it's right though and goes further to show the moral bankruptcy of proffesional football.

Algarveaddick

You obviously feel very strongly about this carter, but yes, I think it is acceptable that he should go back to whatever job he can earn the most money at, the same as every other ex-prisoner is allowed to do. I think football reflects our morally bankrupt society, but for "football" to set itself up as judge, jury and executioner and refuse to give him a job as a player would certainly be immoral.

Carter

Technically he is still a prisoner though. He's only on parole and if I had comitted the same crime and been released early I would not be able to walk into employment like he has. Let alone lucrative employment.

I think it makes an absolute mess of him supposedly being punished for his crime. 3 years inside (most of which was an open prison) then back out to carry on living a working life in the spotlight.

Must be really comforting for the victims that.

Algarveaddick

Agree to disagree then Carts, I think you are right about not being able to find a job that easily if it were you or I, and that is wrong too. If you have done your time, and are not a career criminal, then you should be treated the same as everyone else. At the end of the day Hughes didn't get up one morning and say "I am going to kill someone today", it was a tragic accident. He did himself no favours by running away from the scene I grant you, but he has done his time and been a model prisoner by all accounts. He should not be treated differently to anyone else because his job is high profile and well paid. I am sure there are other people with specialist skills who have also gone straight back to a well paid job in similar circumstances.

The fact that you say it would be okay if he went back to being a roofer indicates that you have no problem with his release, just that he goes back to a well paid high profile job. That sounds a little like jealousy to me.

Carter

Jealousy no, anger yes.

I agree it was an accident but I'm always telling the blokes who work for me that there are plenty of ways of avoiding an accident. Boots on stops toes getting crushed, gloves on stops hand injuries etc etc.

Going out and getting arseholed then getting into a powerful vehicle is not an accident. He can afford taxis surely? Hitting the paople concerned was not on his agenda I'm sure, but he did. Then he ran away.

I have got the hump he was released half way through his sentence but if I spent my time worrying about that I would be a very angry individual. I'm not entirely sure why I feel strongly about this. Maybe I feel that again someone high profile has got off incredibly lightly

Charlton Dan

[cite]Posted By: Carter[/cite]Jealousy no, anger yes.

I agree it was an accident but I'm always telling the blokes who work for me that there are plenty of ways of avoiding an accident. Boots on stops toes getting crushed, gloves on stops hand injuries etc etc.

Going out and getting arseholed then getting into a powerful vehicle is not an accident. He can afford taxis surely? Hitting the paople concerned was not on his agenda I'm sure, but he did. Then he ran away.

I have got the hump he was released half way through his sentence but if I spent my time worrying about that I would be a very angry individual. I'm not entirely sure why I feel strongly about this. Maybe I feel that again someone high profile has got off incredibly lightly

Wrong time of the month fella? ;-)

Algarveaddick

Off the topic, but in a similar vein, I think that quite often people with a high profile job get treated worse. Neither Sven nor Angus Deaton were arrested for a criminal act, but both lost their job because of the press intruding into their private lives and publishing stories about things they wanted to keep secret. Neither mans job was being affected by what went on behind closed doors, but they still got the boot, if they had been roofers or salesmen it would not have happened to them. Sven was fortunate thet at least they paid up his contract.

Carter

[cite]Posted By: Charlton Dan[/cite]

[cite]Posted By: Carter[/cite]Jealousy no, anger yes.

I agree it was an accident but I'm always telling the blokes who work for me that there are plenty of ways of avoiding an accident. Boots on stops toes getting crushed, gloves on stops hand injuries etc etc.

Going out and getting arseholed then getting into a powerful vehicle is not an accident. He can afford taxis surely? Hitting the paople concerned was not on his agenda I'm sure, but he did. Then he ran away.

I have got the hump he was released half way through his sentence but if I spent my time worrying about that I would be a very angry individual. I'm not entirely sure why I feel strongly about this. Maybe I feel that again someone high profile has got off incredibly lightly

Wrong time of the month fella? ;-)

It would appear so yes. I'll be pining for chocolate and drinking red wine next!

Might have to do my blob challenge later.

Down a pint with two tampons stuffed in the cheeks. Sorts the meek and the weak!!

BigRedEvil

Just been released by Oldham. Sign him up!

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